https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:35:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895141 Wed, 21 Aug 2019 10:30:49 +0000 MACSUNSHINE 2895141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@merriment thank you, we do that but I still wish they would use reusable bags or cardboard boxes. I also always wonder if the driver just trashed them? I know that there are sanitary concerns etc with reusable bags. Prime is literally the worse with the insulated bags, I tried to return those to WF and they won’t take them. I still use both services because it is a lifesaver but when I shop on my own I always bring my own bags. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895132 Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:19:42 +0000 merriment 2895132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MACSUNSHINE: we use peapod too, and the drivers will take your old plastic bags to recycle them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895128 Wed, 21 Aug 2019 09:04:13 +0000 Becky 2895128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Haven’t read all previous responses but Instacart has been a lifesaver for us. I don’t shop on weekends because it’s so crazy at all the stores here, so I was doing it after I got my daughter off the bus Friday’s which wasn’t pleasant either. Now I order the groceries and DH picks them up at the store by his office (so we save on delivery, and it’s better for our schedules). We’re spending less on groceries because we make fewer impulsive purchases and see the total in the cart. I rarely have to make a substitution—but maybe that’s because we shop at Wegmans and they’re just great. It has made our lives so much easier so even if we were spending $10 more it wouldn’t matter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895127 Wed, 21 Aug 2019 08:30:52 +0000 MACSUNSHINE 2895127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used Instacart in store pick up at Whole Foods in the past and was always happy, the shopper was a WF employee.</p> <p>Now I exclusively use Prime and Peapod (Stop &amp; Shop), granted I am not picky and frankly just need delivery with our schedules so it works.</p> <p>I do worry about the waste, plastic bags (Peapod) and all the insulated bags that are used (Prime) it is the only part that is making me reconsider. There has to be a better way. I am trying to be more aware of the waste that our family creates. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895110 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 23:45:34 +0000 PurplePeony 2895110@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven’t used any of the delivery services because I’m trying really hard to eliminate as much plastic packing as I can so I shop using reusable bags/containers whenever possible. I often go to Whole Foods and am appalled by the amount of extra packaging the Prime shoppers use (really, there’s no need to put two apples in a plastic bag. They aren’t going to disappear if you weigh them loose). Not to mention how they’ve taken over the store and it’s a hassle to navigate around them when I’m trying to shop, which is partly why I’ve switched to shopping at a local co-op chain whenever I can get there...but I digress... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895108 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 22:58:30 +0000 DesertDreams88 2895108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have been using Kroger Clicklist for 80% of our purchases for the past 2 years. The only exception is their Friday sale items, which you have a better chance of getting in person.</p> <p> There is a $5 fee per order, but it is hands-down worth it. We track every dollar we spend and I can tell you for a FACT our monthly grocery spending has gone down by $100 on average since starting in Oct 2017, even though we added a person meantime :) it's mainly through eliminating impulse-buying and using the electronic coupons through the app, which are sorted in relevance for you based on your shopping habits. </p> <p>Basically, DH and I can add items to our cart whenever we notice the need, then Wednesday night I check the ad and add the big-sale items and I add our "weekly regulars" order. I click through and delete the items that aren't at my target price, then Saturday night I place the pick-up order for Sunday after church. My goal is to do one weekly purchase for $100 or less, so goal of $400-$500 a month and then we have a subscribe&amp;save order from Amazon for about $100.</p> <p>The "weekly regulars" feature of clicklist is a game changer. It takes me 10-15 min to put together a week's worth of groceries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895097 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:34:09 +0000 Chuckles 2895097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@psw27: Yes! I forgot about that. If you added in an extra tip, it was deducted from the employee's pay, or something similar. It does sound like they have stopped doing that, but who knows what else is going on in terms of fair pay. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/06/technology/instacart-doordash-tipping-deliveries.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/06/technology/instacart-doordash-tipping-deliveries.html</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895092 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 19:52:58 +0000 pachamama 2895092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am extraordinarily picky and I really like instacart. If you don't like the alternatives you can have them just not buy the product. my shoppers always pay attention to my weird request and are very friendly. It saved a lot of time making the cart is pretty laborious.</p> <p>Hibt- you can copy your previous order to your cart so you don't have to cart things over and over again </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895073 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 13:32:37 +0000 psw27 2895073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use Amazon Prime Now since it is included in my prime fee and we usually shop at Whole Foods anyway. I used to use Instacart, I was happy with the customer service and the shoppers usually did a nice job. I have read some questionable things about their wages/fees/tipping and how they were allocated to the actual shoppers and delivery people but they claim to have resolved that (I believe they were using customer tips to pay wages... which is unlawful and unethical). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895060 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:57:06 +0000 Silva 2895060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use hannaford to go, which is probably north east only? It’s amazing. I average 1-2 substitutions a week. It’s a 5.00 service charge. I pick it up curbside. I order on the hannaford website so I can see sales and prices and the website reflects what’s available in store. I save money doing it because I stick to my list! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895058 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:35:42 +0000 periwinklebee 2895058@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>p.s. a couple of other things - when I used Instacart, anytime there was a substitution that I did not like, or a damaged item, I just reported it when I rated the order. Took all of two seconds and my money was always fully refunded for that item, no need to return it. So I didn't feel like it was a negative per se, I might not have gotten the item I wanted, but I also didn't have to pay for it. You can easily specify in the app that you only want to accept certain substitutions. </p> <p>But still, I feel with Prime Now that I am much more likely to get exactly what I want. And I pay the in store prices, no markups, which at least for the things I like are cheaper than the marked up Instacart prices from other retailers. I've only bought stuff from Whole Foods via Prime Now, haven't tried stuff sold directly by Amazon. Also, they are better at packaging perishables like ice cream so it will still be very cold when you put it away, even on really hot days. They do not use plastic bags. I think Prime Now is only available in certain zips though, Fresh may be more broadly available but you have to pay a subscription fee. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895054 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:19:09 +0000 luckygirl 2895054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shantuck: When I talked to customer service, they said that they can't guarantee reusable bags. It sounds like it depends on the location. Glad to hear that at least some places they are using reusable bags! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895045 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 11:22:30 +0000 EBSC 2895045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It seems to depend a lot on the luck you have with your shopper. The one time I used it I really liked it for that day -- it was a bit more than in-store, especially with tip, but we simply didn't have time that week, and I got a good shopper (fast, good substitutions). I have a coworker who hates it, though, as she's gotten so many things backwards and had people who were really slow.</p> <p>I prefer to use the grocery stores' own apps and do pickup, as I think the prices are better, and pickup is doable for me (WOH). Still allows me to grocery shop from my couch at 10PM. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895044 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 11:22:17 +0000 SweetiePie 2895044@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nay. They make so many mistakes - far more than the other grocery delivery services I’ve used. And I’ve used a lot being in the city.<br /> Missing items. Broken or damaged items. Really crappy substitutions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895037 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 10:36:07 +0000 Chuckles 2895037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've really liked using Instacart, but I do feel like the shopper's ability to pick out produce is hit or miss. I've been using it for a weekly or monthly shop for bigger amounts of stuff and non-perishables. And then I still go to the store for produce and more frequent fresh items. I do like it though because my trips are much shorter and easier. Plus it forces me to plan ahead a little more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895035 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 10:31:09 +0000 Shantuck 2895035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@luckygirl: That's interesting. In Chicago, Instacart uses reusable bags (with advertisements on them) because there is a tax of 7 cents per plastic bag used. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895030 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:13:53 +0000 luckygirl 2895030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used Instacart a handful of times and it was helpful. We would like to have kept using it, but we couldn't justify the large amount of plastic bags the groceries came in every time. I wrote several notes asking the shoppers to use reusable bags or as few plastic bags as possible, and even contacted customer service about it. Unfortunately they don't offer a reusable bag or environmentally friendly option, so that was a deal breaker for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895029 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:03:05 +0000 periwinklebee 2895029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used it for a couple of years, but then we switched to Amazon Prime Now. Instacart I had to pay a subscription fee; Amazon Prime Now there's no extra fee above what I pay for Prime, which is less than the Instacart subscription. There are fewer replacements and substitutions, and when they are made I tend to believe that it is genuinely out of stock. Not surprisingly, Amazon has a superior inventory management system. Prices are same as in store, only extra cost is the tip for the driver. There are typically more immediate delivery slots available as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895028 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:57:51 +0000 MrsADS 2895028@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have thought about it - it would help me a lot - but I just can't bring myself to justify the increased cost. The price markup is HUGE at the places I shop, plus the tipping... I would be spending so much more for groceries. Just can't do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895026 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:28:59 +0000 Shantuck 2895026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love grocery delivery and use it weekly but I don't care for Instacart. Unless the store has worked out a deal with Instacart, they upcharge for the various grocery items in addition to the delivery charges and tips you are already paying. I read an article in which an Instacart shopper accidentally left the receipt from the groceries in the shopping bag and the customer was able to figure out that they paid over $20 more just for the groceries (excluding the delivery charge and tip) than what the shopper paid at the store. Also, I found that you really have to closely monitor the shoppers and their substitutions (for ex. I was making a Tzatziki sauce and ended up with a personal sized cup of strawberry yogurt instead of a large container of plain yogurt - not sure why they wouldn't have just switched brands before switching the product altogether).<br /> Therefore, I've been using Amazon Fresh for my groceries and have been so much happier. The only drawback is you have to plan ahead a bit more but I can usually get a delivery if I order in the evening for early in the morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895025 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:27:45 +0000 Kaohinani 2895025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ajsmommy: I love using instacart for groceries ... It's a real lifesaver! Once a month, I do our large grocery shopping and my DH goes to the commissary to pick up certain items (* international foods, paper goods, cheaper meat cuts, etc) at least twice a month; however, for our grocery needs on busy days (usually when I work both jobs and have the kids afterwards), we use the instacart service from our Publix. We use it 2-3x a month. The prices are a fraction higher using instacart (tipping is not included so that is extra as well). There is also a monthly fee for the service ($9.99 - $11.99 monthly, depending on your area), however, it is worth it if you count both the gas and time saved in your day that you can otherwise be productive (working, cleaning, gardening, exercising, whatever ...) and engage in quality family time. Besides Netflix and Amazon Prime, it is one of the very few splurges I make. I really enjoy that my shopper can contact me and ask about approved substitutions or refunds on products I requested but are not in stock. I also enjoy that I can make a list and place my order the night before I need it, as well as, I have the ability to potentially add items up until my shopper begins sorting and purchasing from my list. It is also extremely helpful that I am able to view "items shopped" and am given an approximate time for delivery. All-in-all, instacart is a lifesaver! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895024 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:27:09 +0000 MrsSCB 2895024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did instacart once and it was great for that particular day. I was getting over a stomach bug and absolutely could not drive (I could barely walk around). I wondered if the shopper was concerned about my order—saltines, ginger ale, Gatorade, chicken soup 😂 But in general, I just do pickup from our local grocery store. Soooo much easier than going inside. You call on a little intercom and they bring it to you. But cheaper than stuff like instacart. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895022 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 08:01:25 +0000 DillonLion 2895022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Love it and use it constantly. The shoppers in my area are great and rarely make any mistakes. Substitutions are typically fine and don't bother me. I love that they've recently made it super easy to order from multiple stores in one order, which is great because I like to get most of my things at Aldi, but they don't have everything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895018 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 07:32:49 +0000 jhd 2895018@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m interested to hear responses. I have only used Instacart once when my DS2 was in NICU. I know my local store really well so I was a little frustrated when the shopper didn’t find items and/or replaced items that I knew were there. I haven’t used it again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/instacart-yay-or-nay#post-2895016 Tue, 20 Aug 2019 07:15:03 +0000 Ajsmommy 2895016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This past weekend we were traveling and we usually get groceries Sat mornings. But since we were away we used Instacart (wegmans) for the first time and had the groceries delivered. </p> <p>It was ..... eye opening for me..... I really liked it for the most part. I did not like how I had to pick alternatives and they did mess up a few things... I also didn't like paying the more expensive prices. However, for the convenience I do think the cost was worth it. </p> <p>I'm not sure if we'll use it going forward or just go back to our norm.....</p> <p>Has anyone switched to instacart delivery or pick up exclusively? How is it working for you? What do you like/don't like?? </p>